Toronto Raptors: The wheel of potential Kyle Lowry destinations
By Avishai Sol
The Miami Heat
Miami is in a similar position to New York, although they’re on an even tighter schedule. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are locked down for the foreseeable future. That makes Miami a threat to come out of the East every year until Butler gets old or his contract expires.
The 2020 Heat reached the NBA Finals through the play of those two stars and an elite supporting cast, but less than a year later and the backups that took LeBron James to six games are starting to look old.
Andre Iguodala is still savvy but is losing the world-class athleticism that defined his career early on (he’s never been an elite shooter). Goran Dragic is now deep into his 30s and getting more and more injury-prone.
Duncan Robinson is an elite shooter but not much else, and both Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn haven’t had the sophomore years the Heat were hoping for.
The acquisition of Victor Oladipo was nice, but with his injury history and expiring contract, it may be better for the Heat to spend that $20 million elsewhere.
Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry gives the Heat peace of mind.
That’s where Lowry comes in. He would fit in perfectly with the grit-focused Heat culture. He’s battled Eric Spoelstra before, and he’s also close personal friends with Butler. Lowry would be able to work on or off-ball for the Heat. Either providing space for their slashers or setting up their bigs in high pick-and-roll situations.
The Raptors would have to get some picks in return, but the scary part about this move from the Raptors’ perspective is that the Heat really don’t have to worry about matching salaries. Oladipo is an expiring deal. They can just say “ok, thanks” to him and sign Lowry straight up.
The Heat have the most leverage by far of all the teams on the list. They have some nice young pieces they can throw our way, but if the Raptors enter negotiations with the Heat, they’re going to have to bring their A-game.